Arizona Rep. Charlene Fernandez, D-Phoenix, who represents District 4 and was a sponsor of Clean Buses for Healthy Niños, is among the state officials encouraging community members to participate in the public comment period of the Volkswagen settlement. Arizona is expected to submit a mitigation plan sometime in spring.

State Rep. Charlene Fernandez, whose the House Minority Whip, said she and other Democrats have been pushing for the four stalled bills but have been “met with resistance day after day” by the Republican-led legislature.

Fernandez said she encourages Arizona residents to call their elected lawmakers and tell them to act on these stalled bills.

She added public schools should be a “safe zone” for children and noted her grandchildren attend public schools.

Representatives of IBM say Michele Reagan is off the mark in blaming the tech giant for a high-profile blunder in which the office failed to send 200,000 publicity pamphlets for the May 17 special election, and that the secretary of state instead is to blame.

Goveror Ducey did an about-face on decimating our state's JTED funding. Our caucus and some reasonable Republicans got together and forced his hand. We are proud of our victory but stand to be prouder of all the young men and women who will learn skills that the Governor tried to take away.

After banning public testimony during departmental budget hearings, the House Appropriations Committee has decided to do town hall meetings in individual cities to provide information and hear public input. It is vital to attend these hearings and let Arizona legislatures know NO MORE PRISON BEDS IN ARIZONA! REFORM IS THE KEY!

Republicans are quick to demonize the "non-classroom" spending in Arizona public schools. This study shows demonstrates what some of us in education have known for sometime, many charter schools spend even more in administrative costs. The idea that these charters are so much more efficient than public schools seems murky.